David Bowie Tributes

Getty Images / Photo by Carl Court

When the iconic musician David Bowie died Jan. 10, 2016, it seemed as though the entire planet went into mourning. Maybe it was the shock and disbelief that the beloved star had really died since he'd kept his battle with cancer private. Had fans known of his condition, they might have begun paying tribute to him before his death. Instead, the outpouring of grief was sudden, immense, and global. Bowie's rebel artistry over the decades pushed against so many cultural boundaries – in music, in fashion, in gender – and, in doing so, inspired so many fans. He showed people how weird could be beautiful; his example allowed those who thought of themselves as outsiders feel confident in just being themselves. Aware of his impending mortality, Bowie offered his fans a sort of tribute to his own artistic legacy in the astonishing video to "Blackstar," the title track from his final album, which was released on his 69th birthday, just two days before he died. In the days and weeks that followed, fans and musicians alike paid their own homages to the legend, producing numerous impromptu memorials and tribute concerts. Now, on the anniversary of Bowie's birth and death, we've collected some of the most powerful and poignant salutes the world has offered him in remembrance.